LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Republican Tom Cotton won a southern Arkansas congressional seat in Tuesday’s election after defeating Democrat Gene Jeffress, setting the GOP up for a sweep of the state’s four House districts.

The former management consultant and Army veteran defeated Jeffress, a state senator from Louann, in the race for the 4th District. He succeeds retiring Democratic Congressman Mike Ross.

Cotton, 35, had been widely favored to win the seat after racking up endorsements during his primary bid from national Republican leaders such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona and conservative groups such as the Club for Growth. Jeffress, who didn’t have a website until after he won his party’s nomination this summer, trailed Cotton in fundraising and organization.

Republicans had identified Ross’ seat as a top target after he announced that he wouldn’t seek re-election last year. Arkansas lawmakers redrew the boundaries of the district to include traditionally Republican counties in northwestern Arkansas.

Cotton, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, ran partly on a pledge to push for a repeal of the federal health care law and said he wanted to replace it with new reforms. Jeffress said he didn’t know if he would have voted for the overhaul, but said he was opposed to its repeal.

Cotton has called for cutting the nation’s spending and reforming the federal income tax code. He also has said he would have voted against the deal to raise the nation’s borrowing limit last year, and that he supports a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget.

“From what I’ve read and seen, he’s a man who will make some changes,” said Mike Harris, who voted for Cotton on Tuesday in Pine Bluff. “That’s what we need up there. We need some congressmen who will try something different.”